


Hot and Cold

by tajn



Series: Curses and Bonds [3]
Category: The Witcher (TV), Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types
Genre: Cursed Jaskier | Dandelion, Curses, Emotionally Constipated Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia, Fluff, Grumpy Old Men, Holding Hands, M/M, Magic, Soft Jaskier | Dandelion, Spells & Enchantments, Touching, forced to touch
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-16
Updated: 2020-02-25
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:08:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,405
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22758286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tajn/pseuds/tajn
Summary: Geralt has been in a mood since their last adventure and had refused to look, let alone touch, Jaskier. Hell Geralt has hardly spoken to the bard. But with the help of some magic, Geralt is going to face his problem (emotions) head on!ORJaskier and Geralt are forced to touch due to a spell. And Geralt is finally forced to face an emotion other than grumpy.
Relationships: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion
Series: Curses and Bonds [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1604272
Comments: 15
Kudos: 363





	1. Change Your Clothes

It was times like this that Jaskier hated traveling with the witcher. Geralt had taken a job far removed from civilization, which Jaskier had greatly protested. It was for some relics in some almost forgotten beast ridden ruins. And now, part way through the journey, Jaskier had conspired that Geralt’s plan was to scare the bard off with the tough travels. But Jaskier had put his foot down and insisted on following his witcher. In the pits of Jaskier’s soul, he knew that he couldn’t leave the witcher- only because he knew that there had to be a good song out of it. Only that. 

Now, the only thing that Jaskier was putting his foot down was in calf deep mud. The day was waning and Jaskier had hoped that Geralt would stop for the night before setting foot into the murky swamp. But Geralt continued on. Jaskier, unlike his soft looking exterior, was adjusting well to the tougher travel. He rolled up his pants, and followed Geralt into the squitching mud. 

But, what truly made this adventure unbearable was Geralt was in a mood. 

Jaskier has spent the better part of the time following Geralt by trying to elicit a response from the man in attempts to fill the eerie silence. But Geralt was stubborn. He had continued to refuse to speak with Jaskier for the last few hours. He hadn't even graced Jaskier with his common place ‘hm’. Jaskier wasn’t sure exactly what he had done to receive such a cold response from Geralt. Deep in another spiral of thoughts as to why Geralt was acting the way he was, Jaskier failed to notice the large root intertwined through the mud. And with a laugh from destiny, Jaskier’s foot meet into the tangle of roots. Jaskier yelped in surprise.

Geralt turned to see the noise, Jaskier noted. Jaskier had also seen the Witcher reach out and retract his hand all in a matter of moments as the bard face planted into the mud. Thankfully, the fall hadn’t hurt. But it had left the bard soaked with mud, miserable, and nearly burning up with anger. 

“We are stopping for the night,” Jaskier pushed himself from the mud, the thought of just sitting there in protest crossed his mind. The only thing that stopped him was that Jaskier knew what mood Geralt was in. And Jaskier was sure that Geralt would continue on with his journey without a glance back. Jaskier tried to clean himself off as he followed behind, but all that happened was that he smeared the dirt deeper into his clothing. “Fuck,” Jaskier cursed to himself as the misery sank in.

“We’re in a swamp,” Geralt said. And Jaskier daresay heard a hint of guilt. 

At least he is speaking with me, Jaskier thought. “We are stopping,”

“If we sleep here, we’ll get soaking wet.” Geralt continued to walk.

“Geralt.” Jaskier caught the attention of the witcher and glanced down at his dripping frame. “We are stopping.”

Geralt turned away from the bard and mumbled how he could see the edge of the swamp. “Come on,” Geralt said stepping over to grab Jaskier’s bag. “Less than an hour.”

Jaskier mumbled a string of curses and followed after Geralt. 

True to Geralt’s word, in a little less than an hour did the duo find themselves out of the swamp into some firmer land. Geralt had made quick work in starting a fire and going off to catch dinner. Jaskier peeled off his clothes and hung them on a low branch in hopes that they would dry a somewhat adequate amount. “This is perfectly awful,” Jaskier muttered to himself trying to pull some of the mud from his chest hair. There was no stream in sight and Jaskier did not wish to lose himself in the woods. The only silver lining was that his innermost layer of pants were clean enough that he didn’t have to dry off in the nude. 

Geralt returned swiftly with a cleaned rabbit carcass in his hand. The witcher gave the nearly nude bard two quick glances before focusing on cooking the rabbit.

By the time that the duo had cooked the rabbit, and settled down for the night, Jaskier had had enough. Not only was the silence suffocating him, now Geralt was unabashingly staring at Jaskier. The question that had been biting on his tongue was released. “Are you scared of touching me?”

“No.” Geralt ripped his teeth through the thigh of the near charred rabbit. The tone in Geralt's voice was finite but Jaskier was not done speaking with the witcher. Especially with the almost dried mud pinching at his skin.

“You haven't touched me since the day I grew up,” Jaskier said thinking about when he had been transformed into a child and Geralt had been ‘forced’ to carry Jaskier around. It had felt like forever ago, but it really hadn't been more than a month. Since then, Geralt had been in this increasingly sour mood, Jaskier realized. 

“Don't say it like that,” Geralt gruffed. 

“It’s true” Jaskier nibbled at the flank of the rabbit and tossed the bones into the boiling pot. Jaskier liked to brew the bones overnight into a broth. It did wonders on his voice after sleeping in the cold night’s air. After tonight he might need something more, Jaskier thought feeling the chill in the air “remember how you would carry me around everywhere,”

“Its strange,”

“It's also strange how you had every opportunity to catch me earlier,” Jaskier looked down at his still damp clothing drying by the fire, “Yet here I am covered in mud. Care to explain that, my dear friend?”

“...I’m going to bed.” Geralt reached into his pack and pulled something out, which for a moment Jaskier was scared it would be a gag. But instead, Geralt tossed Jaskier a pair loose black pants and near white top, both obviously Geralt’s. 

“These are…” 

“So you don’t complain until morning.” Geralt laid down next to the fire. “Go to bed.” 

“Fine.” Jaskier said slipping behind the tree to change. “Thanks, Geralt.” 

“Good night,” Geralt said adding something to the end that Jaskier couldn't hear.

~_~_~_~_~

Once again, Jaskier would like it to iterate that it was times like this that were terrible to be a travel companion of Geralt. After awakening in the morning, to some very unwearable clothes dried with mud, Jaskier had kept the loaned clothes on, which again earned a series of looks from Geralt. The ruins, which turned out to be more of a labyrinth, were quickly found. 

“Let me guess, stay outside?” Jaskier said dropping his bag to the forest floor preparing to look for some firewood to start a small fire. Jaskier almost looked forward to plucking at his lute and working on a tune.

“No.”

“No?” Jaskier’s head shot up.

“Too many monsters.” Geralt rumbled. “Stay close. Don’t touch things.”

“Oh~” Jaskier perked up and grabbed his belongings. “It seems as if my luck has turned around!”

As it turned out, Jaskier’s luck had not turned around. Instead he and Geralt found themselves running from and slaying, respectively, monsters every turn of the ruins.

“Move” Geralt grabbed the helm of Jaskier shirt and forced the bard to the ground. The next moment a wraith was impaled on Geralt’s silver sword. “Shouldn’t have come.”

Jaskier hissed at the pain that bloomed across his lower back from the fall. “Geralt please be careful. As my name suggests, I really am as delicate as a flower,”

“Should have moved.” Geralt stepped over Jaskier.

“Geralt!” Jaskier cried quickly picking himself up and followed after the blood soaked witcher. In his haste, Jaskier failed to notice the almost invisible tripwire, at least until the bard tripped over it.

“Oops,” Jaskier said watching as one of the once inconspicuous statues eyes started to glow. Two beams, one red and the other blue, shot out and landed a direct hit on both Jaskier and a very grumpy witcher. 

Then, Jaskier’s world was on fire.


	2. Speak Cryptically

As soon as the magic hit, Jaskier’s world was on fire. The air tasted like smoke. His skin felt tight. He needed it all to stop. Jaskier was to the point that he didn’t even know if he was making any noise. All he knew was fiery agony. Time escaped him until a familiar hand gripped his arm. The touch was a cool sweet relief and Jaskier felt like he was able to breathe again. 

“Holy shit,” Jaskier gulped in cool air.

“Jaskier? The fuck was that?” Geralt said, looking at the bard, whose cheeks were heated pink. 

“I don’t know,” Jaskier’s voice was rough and dry. As if he hadn’t had a drink in days. “Everything hurts.”

“Shit,” Geralt turned to grab something, letting go of Jaskier’s wrist. Jaskier was hit with searing pain. Thankfully, before he could be swallowed by the pain again, Jaskier was hit with cool relief. “Drink,” Geralt shoved a bottle into Jaskier hands, Geralt’s hands lingered on Jaskier’s as the bard drank greedily. The water was crisp cold as if it had run through a near frozen river. Exactly what Jaskier needed. 

Geralt turned back to fiddle with something is his pack and again the pain returned, but now it was just past unbearable. Enough so that Jaskier could talk.“Please. It hurts,” Jaskier begged.

“Jask,” Geralt said, his breath coming out in a cold mist against Jaskier’s cheek. It felt too nice. 

With a near shaking hand, Geralt brushed the now sweat slicked hair from Jaskier’s brow. “I’m okay,” Jaskier was able to mutter out. 

“You aren't.” Geralt said continuing to pet Jaskier head. 

“Neither are you,” Jaskier said taking a closer look at the witcher. His lips looked near purple with cold. “Are you not cold?”

“I’m fine.”

“Then I must be fine as well because we got hit by the same… statue thing.”

“You feel hot,” Geralt observed. “Too hot.”

“Well thank you Geralt but this isn’t time for compliments.”

“Shut up Jaskier.” Geralt's hand was removed from Jaskier’ forehead. And again the scorching pain returned. 

Finally after minutes of on and off agony, something clicked for Jaskier. “Wait,” Jaskier reached his arms around Geralt's neck and held tight. And Jaskier felt most of the heat flush away. “This feels better.”

“Let go Jaskier,” Geralt squirmed half heartedly but Jaskier held on tightly. 

“It hurts if I let go,” Jaskier said trying to close the gap between the two even more. The closer the duo got, the better Jaskier felt. “Please Geralt.”

“That magic must have made u-you ill,” Geralt said softly. 

Jaskier noted that Geralt had not let go of him. “Again?” Jaskier sighed his head rested on Geralt’s shoulder. 

“It seems like it,” 

“It hit both of us thought,” Jaskier said- and certainly did not whine. “And it really should have been your turn anyways." 

“Chaos isn’t fair.” Geralt gruffed. 

“What shall we do?” Jaskier asked. “Unless I am to remain as your new necklace,”

“Let it take its course.” geralt looked at the statue carefully. “The magic here is old and not too potent.”

“How do you know?’

“if it were potent, then you would have burst into flames.”

“Ah,” Jaskier felt himself pale at the thought.

As the two retreated back through the labyrinth, another thought struck in Jaskier’s head. “But really Geralt, why did it only affect me if it hit you as well?”

“I’m a witcher.” Geralt did not grace Jaskier with a look.

“That can’t be your answer to everything,”

“It is the answer to everything.” 

~_~_~

Setting up camp had been chaotic at best. The two struggled to keep contact and everytime they would disconnect, Jaskier would be hit with the same pain. At times. Jaskier would momentarily forget about the affliction and would distractedly try and run off to look at something that caught his fancy. He never got far.

In the end, the duo had decided that holding hands would be the most efficient way of getting anything done in the least painful way possible. 

The fire crackled before the duo as they watched their dinner cook. “Geralt?” Jaskier lifted his head from where it rested on the tree behind him.

“What?” Geralt said popping some bread into his mouth. Hunting had not been an option with being connected so dinner had been scavenged through the forest and at the bottom of Geralt’s bag. Leaving them with a mushroom broth and stale bread. 

“How will we sleep,” Jaskier asked. 

“Closing our eyes.” Geralt stirred the pot of simmer soup.

“Don’t be an ass,” Jaskier said. “What happens if we stop touching in the middle of the night? Would it not be a disaster?”

‘Hm,”

“That isn’t a solution.” Jaskier said. “Barely an answer if you ask me. I don’t wish to wake up in the morning as Jaskier Jerky!”

“Calm down,” Geralt said. 

“I really shouldn’t be surprised at your lack of answer.” Jaskier said taking a gulp. “Thankfully I have come up with a solution.”

“Which is?”

Jaskier plucked up the courage to answer. “To sleep in the same bedroll.” 

Geralt’s response was a glaring look. 

“I didn’t say it was a good solution.” Jaskier shrugged.

“Fine.”

“Fine?”

“Yes fine. It… makes sense.”

“But what about your fear of touching me?” Jaskier said 

“I’m not scared of touching you,” Geralt replied. 

“Then what is it?” All this body contact must have been affecting Geralt for the better, Jaskier mused. The man was actually talking about his feelings.

“… We have been getting closer than I expected.” Geralt admitted.

“And?”

“I have been unprepared.” Geralt admitted hasily. “Especially with all the magic that has been flying around. It made me realize… things,”

“Ahh-” Jaskier nodded. “So you were scared-”

“Witcher’s don't fear anything.” Geralt interrupted.

“Geralt.” 

“Jaskier,” Geralt said with resolve.

“Fine. you were concerned to get closer to me because you realized you cared about me. At least from my understanding. ” Jaskier ignored that patter in his chest. He waited a moment for the witcher’s reply and Jaskier turned to look at Geralt, whose eyes were staring at the pit of the flames. “Geralt?”

With his freehand, Geralt dragged his bedroll closer to Jaskier. “Mine is bigger.”

“Better answer than nothing,” Jaskier said a small smile playing on his lips. It seems as if he had grown on the witcher.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jaskier Jerky™
> 
> again, this story had run away from me and what was once a oneshot had mitosisted into 3. please let me know how you are enjoying the series!!

**Author's Note:**

> this fic took me way too long to write and now i feel like i have to post something since it's geraskier week!!
> 
> let me know what you think it going to happen next. And prizes go out to everyone who knows what I'm referencing in the title of the fic and chapters
> 
> and as always thanks for reading <3
> 
> EDIT: Somehow the last 3 paragraphs didnt post so i added them sorry for the confusions 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭


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